Lauren's Dilemma (28 page)

“Er,
Bobbie, can you find Matthew Cunningham at his store?
  
Tell him I need to see him urgently.” He
flicked the youth a shilling and he caught it deftly. “Urgent, all right? But
only speak to Matthew Cunningham.
 
If
he's not there, or he’s too busy, come back and let me know.”

“Okay,
boss. He won't be busy.”

“Oh?”

“No one
shops there any more. Laurie Cunningham is having a baby that don't belong to
her husband.”

“Just get
Matthew Cunningham.” Blair choked back his rage. It was becoming increasingly
obvious they were having a rough time of it. How petty and small-minded people
were. He took a savage gulp of beer. He wanted to get Laurie out of here and
back to Coolibah where she would be safe from gossip and hurt.

He climbed
to his feet as a ruddy-cheeked man accompanied by Bobbie came towards him.

“Matthew
Cunningham?”

“Yes.”

“I'm Blair
Sinclair.” He watched shock turn to animosity. “Mr. Cunningham, we need to talk
about Laurie.”

“Haven't
you caused my daughter enough anguish already?”

“I know
most of what happened was my fault. If I hadn't fallen for Helen's lies, Laurie
and I would be married by now.”

So this was
Blair Sinclair. Matthew Cunningham assessed the tall, straight-backed young
officer. Public school written all over him.

“What is it
you want from me?”

“I want to
marry Laurie; I love her. I want to take her away from all this.” He waved his
arm about. “She'll be safe at Coolibah, and you're welcome to come, also. We
must marry before our child is born. If it takes me a lifetime, I'll make it up
to her. I swear it.”

Matthew
Cunningham stared at the intense young officer and didn’t doubt his sincerity.
He would be glad to get Laurie away from the viciousness of Sandy Ridge.
People she had known all her life ostracized her now. He would never have
believed such a thing possible.

Blair
watched the different emotions flitting across his companion's face. He needed
this man's help to convince Laurie she could be happy again, that he would look
after both her and their child. It would be too much to hope she might still
love him, but he was desperate enough to pick up any crumbs of affection she
might throw his way. He felt pathetically powerless for the first time in his
life, and it was not a pleasant feeling.

“It seems
to me, it's Laurie who has to make the choice,” the older man finally said on a
sigh. “She's suffered so much already.”

“I need to
know that you support me. If she agrees, we'll get married as soon as I can
arrange it.” I'll take her away from this wretched, rotten place.

When they
arrived at the residence behind the store, Blair was shocked at what he saw,
and he realized the true extent of Laurie's suffering. Some foul creature had
daubed obscenities on one wall. A couple of their windows were boarded up
because the glass had been smashed.

“We've had
some trouble,” Matthew said.

The comment
was a classic understatement. How could people be so despicable?

“Laurie,
someone to see you.”

“Who is it,
Dad? I've made a cup of tea; there isn't much else to do.” Laurie stopped dead
on entering the room.

“Blair.”
The noise in her ears was deafening. Blood surged to head making her dizzy. She
would have collapsed in a heap, if he hadn't leapt the few yards separating
them and caught hold of her shoulders.

“Oh,
Laurie,” he groaned. “Can you ever forgive me for all the pain I've caused
you?”

He stepped
back a pace, but kept his hands on her shoulders. Swollen and heavy with child,
her cheeks pale and pinched, she still looked beautiful. His heart turned
somersaults in his chest.

“You're
even lovelier than I remember. Will you marry me? I love you. I can make you happy.
I want you and your father to leave this wretched place and come back to
Coolibah with me. Our child should be born there. We can start afresh and put
all the pain behind us. Please say yes.”

He watched
her sad green eyes fill with tears, her mouth trembled, but no words came out.

“Oh, my
darling.
 
Don't cry.” He drew her into
his arms again.

Her lips
started quivering, and he could deny himself no longer. Tentatively he kissed
her, fearing rejection, but her mouth opened under his. Soon she returned his
kisses with the youthful ardor he had dreamed about for so long. Finally when
he let her go, they were both trembling. He guided her to the couch but
retained hold of her hands.

“Does that
mean yes?”

She nodded,
because she couldn’t speak.

“I'll make the
arrangements as soon as I can, something quiet and quick.”

“Do you
really love me, Blair?”

“Yes.”

“You're not
marrying me because of the baby?” Her eyes burned fever bright. “I couldn't
bear another marriage of convenience.”

“Me
either.” He shocked her by saying, as he brushed her tears away with his thumb.

“You loved
Helen. I only felt pity and some fondness for Dick.”

“I was
blinded by Helen’s beauty before I left for the war.
 
After I met you, I realized how selfish and
shallow she was.”

He
explained how he had been hurt and confused by Laurie’s refusal of his initial
proposal of marriage. After he’d made love to her, he was angry and
disappointed in the aftermath of his passion because she wasn’t a virgin,
especially when she was only eighteen. Later, when his initial devastation wore
off, he realized it would have been Danny. Jealousy set in. He was fighting to
overcome this when Helen turned up, followed by Dick’s arrival on the scene to
complicate things still further.

Laurie was
shocked at how hurt and insecure Blair had felt. If only they had been honest
with each other about their true feelings, the tragedy that had blighted so
many lives would have been avoided.

“There’ll
always be a little part of me belonging to Danny,” she told him earnestly. “I
can't lie about that. I do love you, Blair, and have done since I visited you
in the convalescent hospital, but there was always Helen. You cried out her
name after making love to me. I could have forgiven you for that, but you
turned against me once she arrived on the scene.”

“I acted
stupidly. I let Helen manipulate me. I swear, though, if you hadn't married
Dick, I wouldn't have married Helen. I'd have got out of the engagement
somehow. After you were lost to me, I didn't care what happened. It seemed
easier to let Helen have her way. The light went out of my life when you left
Coolibah. I know it was weak of me to let Helen railroad me into marriage.” He
gave a deep shuddering sigh. “God, I've made so many mistakes.”

“Don't say
any more.”

“No, this has
to be said. I can't make any more mistakes; it's too important for us now. I
swear, I never thought about you getting pregnant. Bloody stupid of me, I know.
When you stood up in court and said it wasn’t Dick’s baby, I felt like I'd been
kicked in the guts. Can you ever forgive me?”

He kissed
her. As she lifted her mouth away from his to answer yes, she suddenly realized
he wore his army uniform. She pushed herself away from him. She wouldn't be
able to live through the pain of letting a man she loved go off to war again.

“What is
it? Did I hurt you? I keep forgetting about your delicate condition.”

“You're in
uniform,” she accused, her voice shrill. “You volunteered to go back to the
war.”

“They
called me up the day after Dick’s funeral.
 
This is the first chance I’ve had to get away from camp. Shh, now, don't
upset yourself. I'm only training the troops at Broadmeadows. So many officers
have been lost in France
that they rushed over reinforcements. They're desperate now.” He laughed
without mirth. “Must be, to call up an old crock like me with a gammy leg.”

“I know
it's selfish, but I couldn't stand it if they sent you away to fight. You've
done your share. It isn't fair. How many others are walking around out of
uniform? I hope this second conscription vote is ‘Yes,’” she went on
passionately.

“Oh,
Laurie.” He nuzzled his face into her throat. “Some wedding night we're going
to have, my darling. I’ll have your father breathing down my neck, and even
worse, I won't be able to make love to my wife.” He ran his hand across her
swollen stomach. “You know, it nearly killed me to think you were carrying
Dick's baby.”

* * *

They were
married quietly at the Manse. The three of them headed for Coolibah straight
after the ceremony. Fergie welcomed them with open arms and put on a special
dinner for all of them, including Wally and Angus.

* * *

In April of
1917, Laurie went into labor, and the pains became almost unendurable. I'm
going to die. She tried not to scream and upset her father. If only Blair were
there, she wouldn't feel so bad.

“Princess,
you'll be all right.” Her father, anxious and strained, hovered close by.
Sensing her fear, his hands smoothed back the tendrils of damp hair falling
across her forehead. Where the hell was Blair? He should have been here hours
ago.

The last
few months had aged him twenty years, but with the birth of this baby, he hoped
the roses would come back into Laurie's cheeks again. This child would be the
cement to bind her and Blair together. They deserved to have a happy life after
what they had both been through.

“It's
nearly time, Mr. Cunningham.” Fergie hustled him from the room. “You'll be all
right, Miss Laurie.”

By the time
the doctor arrived, followed a few minutes later by a frantic Blair, Laurie was
in the last stages of labor. Her whole body was being slowly ripped apart.

“I'm sorry,
my darling.” Blair kissed her trembling lips. “I got here as soon as I could.
Is the pain very bad?”

“It’s
awful, but I feel better now you’re here.”

“Out, Mr.
Blair.” Fergie hunted him from the room. “This is woman's work, now. Oh, and
the doctor.” She sniffed huffily.

He knew the
old housekeeper was unhappy because Matthew Cunningham had followed his
instructions and sent for the doctor. He wouldn’t hurt Fergie for the world.
She had delivered numerous babies over the years, but she was old now, and he
wasn’t prepared to take any risks. If complications arose, he wanted the doctor
to be on hand. Laurie was so young and fragile, the fear of losing her made his
gut clench.

“Push, Miss
Laurie, push.” Tears of pain and exhaustion trembled on Laurie’s lashes. She
felt a sudden sliding sensation, followed almost immediately by the lusty
crying of a baby.

“It's a
boy!” Fergie’s eyes filled with tears. You've given Mr. Blair a son.”

“You have a
fine, healthy boy, Laurie,” the doctor said as he made her comfortable. “Rest
now. You’ve done a good job. Mrs. Ferguson will see to the baby.”

“Let me
look at him first, doctor.” She felt too tired and weak to hold him, but love
filled her heart to overflowing when she gazed upon her baby’s tiny wrinkled-up
face and thatch of dark hair.

Blair came
to see her first. “Are you all right?” His face was strained with worry as he
kissed her. “You've given me a son, Laurie. Coolibah has an heir. You can't
know how I've always dreamed of this moment. I'll get Fergie to tell your
father, he's nearly going off his head outside.”

He let go
her hand and leaned across to pick up the baby. Holding him in the crook of his
arm, he inspected him carefully. “My God, you are a splendid little man. Do you
think he favors me?”

“Of course
he does, just look at that head of hair.” She gave a weary smile.

“I'll have
to show him to Wally and Angus, they've been pacing up and down the verandah
for an hour or more. I can see this little chap is going to be rather spoilt.”
He grinned, and his skin started returning to its normal color.

“I don't
know how I would have survived if everything hadn't gone so well, Laurie.” His
eyes became suddenly somber. “I don't think I would be able to go on if
something happened to you.”

“Oh,
rubbish. I'm as strong as an ox, but get Dad. I'm really tired now; I haven't
slept properly in days. He's been a tower of strength and so has Fergie. I
wouldn’t have been able to cope without them.”

“I should
have been here to support you more, but I couldn't get away from camp.”

When her
father came in, Laurie noticed tear stains on his cheeks.

Blair
reluctantly handed the baby over to his grandfather.

“What will
you call him?”

“We haven't
decided yet, Dad.”

“Yes we have,”
Blair said adamantly. “His name will be Daniel Richard, after the other two men
in Laurie's life.”